Fire extingusher



Feb. 9, 1932. A. c. BADGER 1,844,198

FIRE EXTINGUI SHER Filed March 16 1927 fau/mr:

I tenias oserei-1f 'rail' its il FIRE EXTNGUSHER Application led March 16,

"l` his invention relates to fire extinguishers of the type in vwhich tivo reagents, lept apart before the time of use, are caused to mingle by inverting the extinguisher and to generate gas by their reaction; such gas exerting pressure upon the liquid, which also is contained in the extinguisher, to expel such liquid forcibly. One of the particular purposes of the invention is to provide means by which the reagents, contained in separate solutions, may be intimately mixed in a uniform and `pro,-''ressife manner in course of bek ing discharged, to the end that the liquid when discharged ivill have a foamy consistency With near uniformity in the size of the bubbles. Thus, other things being equal, the foam delivered from the extinguisher is more lasting and effective than one in which the mixture of gas and liquid is lessv diffused and intimate and there is greater disparity in the sizes of the gas bubbles imprisoned in the liquid. ln the accomplishment of this ohject, l have devised the novel inventions and improvements, the preferred embodiments of Which are described in detail-in the following specification. These novel features comprise means for guiding the solutions from separate containers or spaces Within the extinguisher into distributed union .adjacent to the outlet, and for transferring a portion of the gas evolved by reaction of the chemical compounds into thev space Vwhich is then above the main body ofliquid, Without mixing with the liquid.

TWhile I have thus indicated one of the objects of the invention as concerned with the formation and delivery of foam from a lire extinguisher, l am not restricted as to that inode of use, but claim all novel features of the device for allpurposes and modes of use to which they may be adapted.

ln the drawings,-

Fig. l is a .f'ertical sectional vievv of a lire extinguisher embodying the present inven- 192'7. Serial No. 175,738.

casing or shell in section and the interior parts in elevation.

Lilie reference characters designate the parts Wherever they occur in all the figures. v

rEhe reference character 'l designates the shell or casing of the extinguisher which may be of any size and capacity, and of any shape suitable for lire extinguisher use. That is, it may be small enough to be carried and operated in the hands of a person, or so large as to require mounting on a Wheeled truck. The one here shown is provided at one end with a base 2 by which it may be stably supported on a floor, and at the other end With a mouth ring 8, on which aL cap or cover lis detachably threaded. The materials and method of construction of such shell may be of any character usual in suitable for the purpose.

' An inner receptacle 5 is placed Within the container. lThis receptacle'has `a closed bottom 6, and is open at the opposite end, being there provided Withan external lip 7 adapted to rest and be supported on a ledgel 8 Within the mouth ring 3. ninternal lip 9 is formed ivitnin the receptacle near its open end, but at some distance inward therefrom. The inner edge of the lip 9 defines an opening Which is preferably cylindrical, and in Which is located a stopper having a cylindricalv skirt portion l0 which lits slidingly Within the rim of the lip 9, a liange ll overlapping such lip and adapted to he closed against it, and a central tapered projection l2. A stem 13,

Y which projects through a stutling box 14 in the cap or cover l, and is in threaded engagement With a sleeve portion l5 of said cap, has a flanged head 16 in sWiVeled connection with the art or c CTI Cri

the upper end of the stopper, through the agency of a retaining ring 17 screwed into the stopper as shown, or by other suitable means. Ports 18 are formed in the stopper skirt for outlet of the contents of the receptacle 5. Preferably these ports are small in size and large in number', all distinct from one another, and arranged in two or more zones surrounding the axis of the stopper. Thus a subdivision into a large number of streams of the solution running from the receptacle is effected, and a more or less rapid emptying of the receptacle is permitted according as the stopper is opened more or less widely. By operation of the stem 13, the stopper may be moved inward until the ports 18 are within the lip 9 and the flange 11 is closed against the lip, thereby preventing outliow of the contents of the receptacle, or it may be moved outward, as shown in the drawings, until the ports 18 are brought to a greater or less extent beyond the lip 9.

The projection 12 of the stopper, previously mentioned, extends inward or downward centrally from the upper end wall of the stopper and is provided and formed in such manner as to defiect and spread the liquid flowing from the inner receptacle, when the extinguisher is inverted, outwardly in all directions. To this end it is tapered and its sides are longitudinally curved, and join the end of the stopper on lines which, in all radial planes of the stopper, conform substantially or in a general way to lines of stream flow. Considering the surface of this projection and the adjoining inner or under surface of the end wall of the stopper as a curve of revolution, the elements of such surface are concave lines of smooth curvature and having different radii of curvature in different parts. The part of the curve at the tip of the projection has the longest radius, and from there toward the rim or flange 11 of the stopper the radii of successive parts of the curve become progressively shorter; but even at the upper end of the curve, where it meets the rim, the radius is so long that the center of curvature is at least, or substantially, as far away from the axis of the stopper as the rim. By reason of such curvature, the surface of the stopper which is directed toward the outflowing liquid deflects the liquid smoothly and gradually toward the outlet ports 18, without tendency to cause a reversal in the direction of flow.

In the sides of the inner receptacle between the lip 9 and the open end, are ports 19' which givecommunication between the interior of the receptacle and the outer space within the main casing.

An annular partition or diaphragm 20 fitted and secured within the main or outer casing near the upper end thereof, and is provided with a flange or web 21 rising from its inner circumference and surrounding the inner receptacle, but separated therefrom by an annular space 22 of such width as to limit the rate of flow of the liquid contained in the extinguisher outside of the inner receptacle, while permitting a sufficiently free flow thereof. Such web or flange extends toward the mouth of the casing, but terminates short of the end wall thereof and of the mouth ring by a distance sufficient to permit free flow of the mingled solutions, except at the side where the outlet is located, and there it extends all the way, or approximately s0, to the mouth ring. At all points, however, the web 21 preferably extends beyond the zone at which the lip 9 joins the side walls of the inner receptacle, and approximately as far as the plane in which the rim of such lip 9 is located, said lip being preferably inclined substantially as shown in the drawings.

The outlet is at 23 and is provided by a suitable fitting secured to the upper end portionl or dome of the extinguisher shell, in any manner usual in this art, or other suitable way. As here shown, the outlet fitting passes through the wall of the extinguisher near the mou-th thereof, having a flange 24 on the inside, and a nut 25 on the outside, between which the extinguisher shell is clamped. A strainer 26 is mounted on the inner end of the outlet fitting, preferably being detachably screwed thereon. Any suitable character of means may be associated with the outlet fitting to control the diameter and direction of the stream expelled therefrom.

That part of the web 21 which is next adjacent to the outlet extends substantially to the mouth ring 3, and is designated by the numeral 21a. It has a suiiicient lateral extent to either side from the outlet to exclude immediate discharge of those portions of the solutions which flow through the annular space 22 and the stopper ports at the side next to the outlet, and compel mixing of the solutions before discharge. It serves as a baffle or shield for that purpose. I have found that an angular extent of about of the part 21a around the axis of the extinguisher is sufficient for this purpose. The part 21a is provided with a displaceable segment 27 in its middle portion, such segment being hinged in the manner of a gate and provided with a stop 28 to prevent its swinging outward but adapted to swing inward when the inner receptacle is removed, to give access to the strainer for cleaning or removing it, without requiring removal or displacement of the entire partition 20 for that purpose. Such partition is here shown as being fitted friction tight at its outer rim within the extinguisher shell, and normally immovable.

lt may be otherwise mounted, however.

A tube 29 is secured to the partition 20, preferably well removed from the outlet, and provides a passa-ge for gas from the space 80 vat one side of the partition to near the bottom of the extinguisher. Said tube is here shown as screwed into a ring or spud 3l, which passes through the partition and is secured by threaded collars or nuts 32, 38. .er ring 34 surrounds the lower' end of the receptacle 5 and carries a collar 35 embracing the tube 29, to center these parts and hold them steady. Arms 3G are connected to this ring and extend outward into connection withsockets 37, attached to the shell of the extinguisher, by which the ring is made secure.

The various parts of the extinguisher may be made of any of the materials usual or suitable for apparatus of this kind, including castings, sheets and tubing of brass, copper', or other suitable material, fabricated in any desired suitable way, the details of which are not important from the standpoint of the protection which I seek, and are well understood by the workers skilled in the art of making such apparatus. I may say, however, as to the inner receptacle, that I prefer to construct the end portion thereof, which includes the shoulder 7, ports 19, and inner lip 9, as a casting, and the balance of sheet metal overlapping and soldered to such casting.

It will be understood that when charged and ready for use, the inner receptacle is filled with a solution containing one reagent, and the main body of the extinguisher with a solution containing another reagent which,

" in reaction with the iirst reagent, will generate a non-inflammable gas. One reagent may be an acid, or an acid salt, such as aluminum sulphate, and the other a salt of carbonio acid, such as sodium bicarbonate, or a mixture thereof with sodium carbonate. When intended to discharge a lasting foam, a foam stabilizing agent is included in one or both of the charges, preferably the main or larger charge, whichy contains also the alkaline reagent and is placed in the main body of the extinguisher. The cap fl is tightly closed, being packed by a gasket 3S, if necessary, to prevent evaporation loss and leakage, and the stopper of the inner receptacle is closed by bringing its flange 11 against the lip 9.

In order to use the extinguishe the stopper is first raised by turning the stem 13, to a greater or less extent, depending on the desired rapidity of mixing of the reagentsand discharge of the mixture. Fig. l shows the stopper opened to the fullest extent, to obtain the maximum rate of discharge and distance of projection of the foamy liquid. But the extinguisher may be used when the stopper is less widely open and the ports 18 therein more or less obstructed. The entire extinguisher is then inverted, whereupon the liquids iow simultaneously from the inner receptacle through the ports 18 and from the main body .of the extinguisher through the annular passage 22, mingling inthe space immediately surrounding the stopper.y riChe restricted annular ypassage 22 andthe sep arated ports 18 restrict the flow of bothsolutions and at the same time cause them to be thoroughly and intimately mixed together. Generation of gas commences at once and continues throughout the period of flow. Part ofthe gas flowsthrough the tube' 29 to the inverted bottom of the extinguisher, but without mixing with the liquid in the outer space and being absorbed thereby, and applies pressure 'on the surface of the liquid in such space. Som-ek of the gas also Afinds its Way throughthe ports 18, or the spaces between the outer surface of the stopper skirt, the longitudinal ribs 89 on such skirt, and theV rim of the lip 9, into. the Vinner ieceptacle toreplace the outowing solution and apply pressure thereon. The mixture of solutions, carrying the rest fof the evolved gas as. imprisoned bubbles, is discharged from the outlet under the pressure developed by the evolved gas. The intimate manner Vin which the mixture -o-f reagents is effected causes simultaneous generation of gas in the locations of all the str-earns flowing from the lports 18 and uniform gas generation throughout the film flowing through the annular space 22, so that the bubbles of gas are distributed throughout the liquid with a high quality of uniformity as to the size of the bubbles. That is, thebubbles aresmall and approximate nearly to equality in size. Other things being equal, a foam is more lasting and formsa blanket of more nearly uniform thickness andefiectiveness in proportion to the smallness and uniformity of size of the bubbles. Thecharacteristics of the present invention herein described have given remarkableV and greatly improved results in this particular. v

It will be understood that various changes in structure and arrangement of the various lparts of the extinguisher may be made without departing from the invention, Within the 1 scope of the appended claims.

The terms used in this specification and in the following claims denoting relative height are to be construed as referring to the apparatusvwhen in the upright position shown in the drawings, except where the context clearly indicates that .the inverted position is Y meant. 1

l/Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y

1Q A fire Vextinguisher comprising a shell having an outlet at one side adjacent to one end, an inner receptacle Centrally disposed in said shell andhaving an outlet near thebefore named outlet, a partition crossing the shell near the firstnamed outlet and formed to leave an open space contiguous to the inner receptacle near the outlet ofthe latter,

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and a shield extending from said partition to the before named end of the shell at one side of the inner receptaclerand between the latter and the first named outlet.

V2. A fire extinguisher comprising a shell having an outlet from one side adjacentto one end, a partition mounted in said shell'extending inward from the walls thereof at a location adjacent to said outlet but at the side thereof away'from the above-named end-of the shell, said partition having an opening and a web or iange surrounding said opening and extending toward the said end of the shell, that part of said web which lies nearest to the outlet extending substantially to vthe end of the shell, an inner receptacle passing through the space embraced by said flange and havinglatera-l outlet ports on all sides, said flange beingbetween the first named outlet and the ports ,at the side adjacent thereto, and a stopper arranged to Close off the interior of said receptacle from said ports and being formed with spreading surfaces leading from a central point toward said ports.

3. A lire extinguisher'comprising a shell having a mouth and an outlet adjacent to said mouth and at one side thereof, a transverse inner partition connected to the walls of the shell and extending inwardly therefrom near one end of the shell but farther distant from the mouth thereof than the outlet, said partition having an interior opening and a web extending from the rim of said opening toward the mouth and between the mouth and charge outlet near one end andthe receptacle having an outlet near the same end of the extinguisher, and imperforate separating means extending inward` from the shell and between said outlets in position to permit flow of the two solutions into mixture with one another when the extinguisher is inverted and at the same time prevent access of either solution to the first named outlet before mixing of the solutions has occurred.

5. A fire extinguisher comprising an outer shell having anv outlet `adjacent to one end, an inner receptacle having an outlet adjacent to the first named end, and a transverse partition 4connected at its outer circumference with the Walls ofsaid shell dividing the interior ofthe shell into a mixing space at the before named end of the shell, from which the shell outlet leads, and a solution contain.- ing space further from such end; said partition having an opening larger than the transverse dimensions of said receptacle through which the latter' extends and in which it is centrally located, and a flange extending from the, rim of said opening toward the before named end ofthe shell and beyond the outlet from the shell, providing the only fiow paslie 

